Tragedies Happen, Deal With It
by thinking hurts my brain
Summary: When Karin Kurosaki is hit by a car, her world, along with a certain squad captain's is turned upside down. Will they be able to handle it?
1. The Accident

**A/N: I ship these two almost as much as I ship Percabeth. First Bleach fanfic, hoping I did well. Sorry I haven't updated some of my other stories, I've been busy. Please review and tell me if I should continue!**

**I don't own Bleach, or any of the characters.**

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Karin Kurosaki was no ordinary kid.

To put it plainly, she was dead.

It was a beautiful day outside, perfect for soccer practice. She walked along side the river, supposedly where her mother died. She should have been bitter about it, but for some reason, she wasn't. Maybe it was fate; meant to happen. She could accept that. Her mother... her mother was gone, along with Ichigo. Where was he?

As her thoughts turned to her brother, she screamed out, "Oh, man!" in frustration. She wasn't supposed to worry about him. She swung her soccer ball around in frustration, and the net that held it slipped, sending it soaring out. She made a sort of "Mnyah!" sound of distress, and she sprinted after her escaped ball. "No!" she called as it rolled down the hill.

She wove in and out of the railings, trailing after her beloved ball. She ran down the hill, unable to stop her momentum as she soared into traffic. Her ball was forgotten as she focused on stopping herself. Somehow, she managed to get a grip with her sneakers on the hot pavement. She looked up just as the car honked and collided with her body.

It was short, mostly painless.

A young man sat in a nearby tree. He sat up, sensing her intense spiritual pressure. Then, it spiked. _What the hell?_ he thought.

Karin gasped as her soul was knocked from her body, the chain breaking. The car stopped, brakes squealing. A man climbed out, dark hair and eyes. He looked normal.

Whipping out his cell phone, he dialed 9-1-1. He spoke garbled words into the small machine, and Karin heard the sirens start up in the distance. The man turned his gaze to her still body. Her dark hair was spread over the pavement, and her dark eyes looked up unblinkingly at the sky, hand still reaching for her ball.

The boy, perhaps her age with bleached white hair and intense blue-green eyes ran up to the empty shell. There was something different about him, almost other-worldly. He crouched down and checked for a pulse. Finding none, he turned to her, cold eyes looking straight through her soul.

"I'm so sorry," he said, still looking at her, not at the body.

"You can see me?" Karin asked him. He nodded and shut the eyes on her body. The man behind him clamped a hand over his mouth. _I wonder what happened, _the boy thought.

"Oh my God, I just killed someone."

"It wasn't your fault," the boy said standing up and walking over to him. The boy looked up as the paramedics arrived. He turned away from them and walked over to where Karin was standing, stunned. "Come with me," he commanded. For a kid, he was awfully bossy.

Karin grabbed her soccer ball and followed him, unsure of what else to do.

They walked in silence. It was killing her.

"So, what's your name, Bleachy?"

"Bleachy?!" he said in disbelief. _Is she referring to my hair?_ How could this human child manage to aggravate him saying only five words?

"So it is your name?" she said sarcastically. "Or is it shorty?" That was the last straw. _Nobody_ insulted his height and got away with it. _Who does this girl think she is?_

"Let me just say, look who's talking. You're not any taller than me," he said haughtily.

"At least you've got a big ego."

"Shut up!"

"Make me," she said. He was right up in her face now, and she was getting a kick out of it. Karin's mouth twitched up into a smug grin, and the boy's expression faltered. "Are you really _that _not used to people disobeying you? I knew you were bossy, but not spoiled too."

The boy's tanned face turned beat red. He took something out of his pocket, swallowed it, and separated from his gigai. Karin's eyes widened. The boy grabbed his sword that hung by his side, and flipped it so she was looking at the bottom of it.

It began to glow blue, and Karin would have fainted if she could have. "You... you look like a soul reaper!" The boy stopped as suddenly as he had started.

"How do you..." The girl wasn't even looking at him, the insolent brat! She was looking off in the distance. Just then, his soul pager beeped. The boy swore, and his gigai took out the small device, showing it's master the screen. _This girl sensed it even before my soul pager did. Interesting... _he thought.

"A hollow," the boy said under his breath.

"A- a hollow? Is that what's giving me this headache?"

"Spirits can't have headaches!" _Could they?_

"Tell that to my head!" The screech could be heard from miles around. The hollow, powerful, but nothing a normal soul reaper couldn't handle, jumped out of the shadows. It completely ignored the boy, opting instead to go for the weaker of the two.

Karin frowned at the monster. "What a weakling." _Does she call that a weakling? It's not exactly a Menos Grande, but it certainly isn't weak!_

The strange girl set down her soccer ball and backed up a few paces. "You're going down!" The hollow continued to charge her, and Karin kicked the ball with such force it was just a blur. Said blur was surrounded by a strange blue glow. _Could that be spirit energy? _the boy wondered.

The glowing soccer ball connected with the hollow's face, and the mask shattered. Karin smiled smugly, and her ball faithfully bounced back to her. The hollow screeched in agony and evaporated.

"Good ball," she said, picking it up and giving it a loving pat, brushing hollow dust off of it. The white-haired boy just stared at her, Zanpakto still hanging in the air, ready to use. She glanced at him, and cracked a smile.

"Just who are you?!" he asked.

"My name is Karin Kurosaki."

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**I am the queen of cliff hangers. BWAHAHAHAHA!**

**Review if you want me to continue this story!**


	2. Hello, Lieutenant

**A/N: Yo. Sorry if some of the character are a bit OOC, but I'm trying my hardest over here, don't judge! Gosh! Just kidding. I don't own Bleach. That's not a joke.**

**R&R please! Your opinions mean the world to me!**

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"My name is Karin Kurosaki."

This took the boy completely by surprise.

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me. My name is-"

"Yeah, I got that much. So you're Ichigo's sister?" This struck a nerve with the girl. Her tough facade shattered in an instant, and uncharacteristic tears welled in her eyes. She grabbed him by the shoulders. All the pain she had shoved to the back of her mind surfaced.

"You know him? Do you know where he is? Damn it, answer me! Where is my brother?!" Karin started to glow with a red light, and the chain linked to her chest began to tremble, threatening to open up.

"Karin. Calm down. Ichigo is one of my comrades. He disappeared some time ago, and he hasn't shown since, but I know he is safe. I can sense just a flicker of his spiritual pressure, meaning he is alive. I think he is training somewhere so as not to hurt anyone in the process," the boy said, grasping her hands on his shoulders, and gently lowering them back to her sides.

Karin's face twisted with confusion and anger. "Why did he leave me?"

He noticed that she said 'me' not 'us.' That must mean she felt like it was targeted at her, not just at her family, but specifically her. _She must be very attached to her brother._

"Karin. Your brother will come back to you, I know it. He is currently training to become stronger so he can protect you and the rest of your family. Please calm down." As soon as he said it, the red light faded, and once more the chain was stable in her chest.

"I don't want to be dead." The boy looked at her sympathetically. "I don't want your pity either. Just... don't send me on yet. Please. Once I settle some things, I promise I'll go on my own." Karin wiped away the unshed tears from her eyes.

He stepped back into his gigai, his face hardened again, and he nodded. "I suppose you know about Soul Reapers from your brother, correct?" Karin nodded. "So tell me, Karin. The real you is hiding behind a mask while you act tough. Why?"

"Are you suggesting I'm a coward?" she said darkly.

"Not at all. I am just wondering." he led them through alleyways toward the clinic where she lived.

Karin thought for a moment, considering lying. This guy seemed to know what he was talking about though. "If you act tough, people usually leave you alone and don't ask questions. If you're weak and you show it, then people tend to pick you out and put you down like a dog."

"How philosophical."

"Shut it, Captain Sarcasm."

"That just makes you my lieutenant."

"So we're comrades now?"

"I didn't know you could use that big of a word." Karin punched him hard in the face, surprising both of them. "Oi! What the hell was that for?!"

"For pissing me off," she said bluntly. "You never said what your name was, Captain Bleachy-Short-Sarcasm." The boy's face contorted with anger.

"Hitsugaya-"

"That's a weird name."

"I wasn't finished yet."

"Oh."

"My name is Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of squad ten of the court guard squads in the Soul Society."

"So you really are a captain then."

"You guessed right."

"You admitted it."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"I said shut up!" Karin stayed silent for about five seconds before making another comment.

"So how do you get your hair that color?"

"So how did you manage to get this annoying?"

"OH MY GAWD YOU TWO ARE SO CUTE!" Rangiku's screech could be heard over the noise of the city. She hopped down from the canopy of a shop they were walking by, and grinned at the two shorter people.

The first thing Karin noticed about the woman was her boobs practically jumping out of her tight kimono. Karin mentally gagged, then looked towards Toshiro for an answer, her face questioning. "Who the hell is she?" she asked, speaking her mind.

"My lieutenant."

"'Shiro who is this girl?" Rangiku asked.

"Don't call me 'Shiro," he said through gritted teeth. Karin rolled her eyes.

"My name is Karin Kurosaki. And yes, I'm Ichigo's younger sister," she said, silencing Rangiku's imminent question. It was satisfying to Karin to see the older woman's jaw slack.

"Nice to meet you, I am Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto!" Rangiku said, recovering. She held out her hand, and Karin shook it with a firm grip. "So, you're Ichigo's kid sister, huh?"

Toshiro stifled a laugh at the expression on Karin's face. She looked like she would deck his lieutenant right then and there, but she managed to say through gritted teeth, "Yes." Rangiku laughed.

"Well, one thing that's for sure, you certainly have your brother's temper!" Karin pursed her lips, and Toshiro noticed how she closed off her doors when people started talking animatedly about Ichigo. To help her out, he changed the subject.

"Rangiku, what are you doing here?"

"Well, that's quite a story-"

"Then tell it."

"Temper, temper! I was going to. Well, I was out on patrol when I felt this strange spiritual pressure, then BOOM! It was gone again. Then, I felt it spike again, and my pager detected a hollow! So, I got out of my gigai to come assist you, but it disappeared! I've been looking for you ever since to see what happened. So, why are you hanging out with Ichigo's sister? Aw, don't tell me you have a crush!" Both Toshiro and Karin blushed beat red.

"It's nothing of the sort, Rangiku. Karin... had an accident earlier today."

"Like... in her pants?" Karin facepalmed.

"No, you ditz! I'm dead!" she held up her broken soul chain for emphasis. Rangiku stared at her, stunned. How could she have not noticed the chain?

"I knew that!" she said, trying to cover. "Captain, may I speak to you for a moment?" Karin rolled her eyes towards the sky, and huffed. Toshiro nodded and stepped a few paces away from Karin.

"She's dead!"

"Yes, I understand that," the captain said calmly.

"She's dead!"

"Are you having a hard time grasping this?"

"Toshiro! This isn't funny! What the hell are we going to tell her family?!"

"You two are the worst whisperers I have ever met!" Karin said behind them. They both stared at her like deer caught in headlights. "You could just let me handle it. I mean, my dad and both my siblings can see ghosts, even if they act like they can't."

"What do you think, Captain?"

"It might be good for her to sort things out herself. It'll teach her to handle her problems on her own. She'll be doing plenty of it in the Soul Society, so she better get used to it."

"How philosophical," Karin said, using his own words against him. He glared at her with those intense blue-green eyes, and she grinned instead of flinching. Rangiku watched this exchange with wide eyes. _Nobody talks to the Captain like that, not even me, _she thought. _He wouldn't let anyone in the Soul Society talk to him like he just a little kid. I wonder..._

"Lieutenant! Please pay attention!"

"Yes, Captain," she said rather meekly.

"Karin, are you sure about this?" he asked the girl. He thought he saw just a flash of doubt (or was it sadness?), cross her face. It was replaced quickly by one of confidence.

"Yes," she said. It had an air of finality about it, and that closed the conversation.

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**I need reviews. Tell me if you want any other pairings. I refuse to write Orihime/Ichigo though, so nobody say anything.**

**R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R!... please.**


	3. Sunsets are Red

**A/N: Soooo, hai. Thanks for the reviews. Thanks so much to ****Generalmayhem02**** for pointing out the thing about his eyes. I thought they looked blue. Haha, oops. I just said they were blue-green, hopefully that will please y'all. Anyhoo, I don't like writing Japanese formality things like -chan and -sama or -taicho.**

**I know this is super duper OOC for Karin, but I wanted a happyish chapter before Karin's family are informed of her death. :'( **

**I think that covers everything. Oh, I don't own Bleach. R&R!**

**One more thing. Thanks for the suggestions about ships, I know I'll be including Ichigo/Rukia. I'm not sure about anything else right now though, I just know that I'll make them have a little moment. :3**

**Sorry for the long Author's note. R&R!**

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Rangiku ran off to get back into her gigai, leaving the captain and the dead girl alone.

"Well, she was..." Karin started, struggling to come up with a word that summed up the lieutenant. "...interesting."

"You mean, interesting as in weird interesting, or interesting as in you would genuinely like to know more about her?"

"The first one. I think I would take it a step further than 'weird' though." Toshiro nodded in agreement.

As they waited, Toshiro struck up a conversation. It was unusual for him, usually he liked to be anti-social.

"Do you have any regrets?" he asked her.

"What?" she asked.

"Anything you'd like to have done, say goodbye to? You have to have some, otherwise you wouldn't be here, you would have already passed on." Karin laughed, and sighed.

"My goodness, Captain. I didn't figure you to be a nosy person," she said jokingly.

"I'm just doing my job," he lied.

"Liar." _Damn, she sniffed me out,_ he thought.

"I am no such thing," he lied again.

"Bullshit." The captain groaned and pulled at his white hair in frustration, making it defy gravity even more than it had before, if that was possible.

"How do you manage to be so aggravating?!"

"You're just easy to piss off." He shut his mouth and leaned against a street light pole, acting very much like either a pouty child or a moody teenager. Karin just grinned at him and sat against the wall of a shop.

She looked up at the sky, studying the small square of sky bordered by skyscrapers. It was the one thing about her hometown that she hated. There were only a few select spots one could watch the sunset. Watching the sky, she felt strangely at peace. Her thoughts turned from death and onto the road ahead, no longer lingering. She glanced at Toshiro with a new light, her mood completely changed.

She stood up, brushed the nonexistent dust from her pants, and grabbed a very confused looking Toshiro's hand.

"Kurosaki, wha-"

"Shh," she said, her tone not harsh at all. She led him towards a certain spot overlooking another part of the city, a railing near several sets of stairs and a large hill. They arrived, and she let go of his hand. She did not notice how uneasy the young captain was making physical (or as much as could be) contact.

Karin approached the railing and leaned against it. It was still warm from the day's sun. She could feel that warmth, and it comforted her. It assured her that she wasn't yet completely gone from this world, just unnoticed by almost all of its inhabitants.

Toshiro walked awkwardly up next to her, and also leaned against the railing. Karin sighed, her soul at peace for now. Watching colors streak across the sky made her almost giddy. The sun itself was a large red ball, disappearing slowly over the horizon. As her eyes trailed farther away from the epicenter of color, she ran into first yellow, orange, pink. Purple, lavender. Then, a bluish green exactly the color of his eyes. Then, a dark blue, black. She willed her eyes to travel back to the blue-green, making her tummy do strange flippy-flops.

WHY.

It was not a question. She demanded an explanation.

"What was that, Kurosaki?" She swore to herself, she must have said it out loud.

"Nothing, 'Shiro. Don't worry about it."

"Don't call me 'Shiro," he said threateningly. She ignored him and turned her eyes back to the sunset. His color was gone, instead replaced by the darkness creeping towards the sinking red ball.

"Toshiro. I have a very good metaphor analogy thing, and I want you to compliment me on making it up."

"Way to ask nicely."

"Shut it, pixie."

"PIX-"

"A sunset can relate to death. Even if it doesn't want to sink away, want to leave the light behind for a different place, it has to. Death has to come at some point, even if you don't want your life to end." Toshiro gained a new respect for this girl at that moment. She was wise beyond her years, even if she was infuriating. "But, the sun doesn't leave the light. It takes it with it. As you are only conscious as yourself, you're in your own light. So, you take your personal light with you to the Soul Society, leaving your family members and friends mourning, in the dark, just as the sun leaves us in the dark when it sets. Does that make sense, Toshiro?" Her eyes met his, and he looked at her in wonder.

Karin later said that something super sappy lovey-dovey happened then, and she was absolutely right.

They both looked away at the same time, laughing nervously, faces blushing.

"That was cheesy, wasn't it?" Karin said eventually.

"Yes," the Captain lied. Truthfully, he thought it was amazing. Maybe he was just turning into an old fart that liked poetry. Who knows?

Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto watched this entire charade from her perch on a nearby set of stairs. She imagined herself leaning in intently, chewing popcorn as if she were watching a movie.

The orange-haired soul reaper watched as the Kurosaki girl managed to bring out the relatively sensitive side in her icy captain. She admired her for it. All Rangiku usually managed to do was piss him off. She was happy for Toshiro. It was like an older sister watching her younger brother brush hands with a pretty girl at school.

It took all of her self control not to scream and fangirl over how adorable they were.

"You go girl," she whispered quietly as their eyes locked. Then, they both looked away, laughing nervously. Rangiku stood up, and walked calmly over to them. Karin and the captain both said something, then looked away.

"NO! No, no, no, no, NO! Damn it, 'Shiro! Now you're supposed to kiss her!" Rangiku screeched while stomping over to them, all previous calmness evaporated.

"What?!" Toshiro exclaimed. Both soul reaper and spirit were blushing a color to rival Renji's hair. "Rangiku, how long were you listening?!"

"Long enough to see that you two are in love!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Rangiku?! We've only known each other for a day!"

"You never said you didn't like her though, right?" The captain's mouth opened and closed like a fish's. She enjoyed seeing him speechless.

"Can you believe her?" he said, turning to Karin, who had been silent throughout the whole argument. He was surprised to see Karin walking 20 yards away, giving them both a wonderful view of her middle finger with her back turned. He watched, satisfied as Rangiku's mouth fell open instead of his. He had been expecting Karin to do something like this.

"Now, Lieutenant. Do you really think I could like a girl that is so blunt?" Rangiku took another moment to recover.

"Yes, Captain." she smiled slightly. "Yes, I think that's exactly why you like her."

Toshiro examined the girl from a distance. "Don't be silly, Lieutenant. I would never do something as irresponsible as fall in love with anyone, let alone a Kurosaki."

"Oooh, Captain! I think you're in de-Nile! You better learn how to swim otherwise the crocodiles will get you!" Rangiku crowed. Toshiro rolled his eyes and walked after Karin.

"If you ever say that again, you're fired," he called over his shoulder. Rangiku's mouth dropped one last time, and Karin glanced over her shoulder at the soul reapers.

She smirked and called to Rangiku, "Are you trying to catch flies?" The lieutenant's mouth snapped shut, and Karin threw her head back and cackled. It wasn't a laugh, no. It was a _cackle._ Like, an evil witch's.

Toshiro added it to the list of why he would not fall in love with her.

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**He he, notice how he said wouldn't, not couldn't? Tee hee. Anyway, I'm going to change the title, not sure what to.**

**The next couple chapters will hurt. Just a warning. I'm going to do a chapter about Karin's funeral. I think it's either going to be heart breaking, or hilarious, or both. It depends on whether Ichigo, or Don Kanonji does the eulogy.**

**Tell me what you think, for her funeral. *cough cough* that means you have to review, *cough cough* Get my hint?**

**If you didn't get the picture, review. Please, it means the world to me!**


	4. Crying Sky

**A/N: sorry this chapter is kind of short, but I'm in a hurry. Didn't check for errors. R&R!**

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Clouds gathered as Karin walked home. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that the weather reflected her mood. Sunset was always when she was happiest, but after that, her thoughts and actions took a darker turn.

Toshiro and Rangiku went to Orihime's house, leaving her to do things her way.

Karin stopped outside her family's clinic, staring up at the obnoxious sign. She set her soccer ball down and peeked in one of the windows. Bad idea.

Yuzu was in the kitched crying and cooking. She cooked when she was nervous or sad. Karin could tell how worried she was in accordance to how many dishes were prepared. There were two cakes, a batch of cookies and cupcakes, several trays of sushi, and rice balls. There was also pickles, a large bowl of curry, and sliced watermelon. Karin's mouth watered just looking at the dark red inside of the fruit. It was her favorite, it always had been.

Karin felt the first few drizzles of rain, so she opened the front door as quietly as possible, entering with expert stealth. After having to avoid her father's attacks for 11 years, she got used to sneaking around.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya sat on the roof of the Kurosaki Clinic. He looked up at the crying sky, listening to the similar sounds coming from inside. It didn't sound like Karin. It was higher in pitch- more girl-like. He chuckled quietly at the thought of Karin being girly. He let the rain seep into his gigai's clothes, the cold water like a second home to him. This was warm compared to ice.

He wasn't a stalker. He said that he was looking after Karin because her brother would beat the (relative) life out of him if he didn't take care of her, but really he was worried.

Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya does not worry. This girl though. Almost anything about her was the exception.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto sat in a nearby tree, peering at her captain through binoculars that she borrowed from Orihime. He was just sitting there, not even attempting to help the girl.

She groaned exasperated. _What'll it take to get these two together? I know she's just a kid, but 'Shiro should realize that he has feelings for her. Augh! He's so infuriating! I swear on my life that I will get them to be a couple! Even if it takes a hundred years! _The oblivious Lieutenant didn't really think it would take that long.

How wrong she was.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Karin stepped silently into the house, closing the door behind her. She breathed deeply and prepared herself for hurting.

She walked past the kitchen and up the stairs, searching for her father. Just as she was about to knock on his bedroom door, the doorbell rang. Karin dove for cover just as Isshin Kurosaki burst out of his room. He didn't notice her hiding behind the opened door as he bounded down the stairs.

She heard voices, and decided to take a look at who had come to visit. She snuck down the staircase, ever watchful for her irresponsible father and worried sister. Karin looked around one of the corners of the hallway, and saw a police officer standing at the door talking to her father.

Her father stepped aside, gesturing for the man to come in. They walked past Karin, either ignoring her or not noticing, she didn't know which. She peeked around another corner, and watched as the officer sat down on the couch with Yuzu and Isshin.

"So what can I do for you, officer? Stuffy nose? Head ache? Queasy stomach, shakey legs, twitching eyes?" Isshin asked.

"I beg your pardon, Dr. Kurosaki, but I am not here because I am sick. I'm afraid I have some bad news about your daughter, Karin." Isshin paled, and Yuzu covered her mouth.

"Oh... I see."

"What is it? What happened to Karin? Where is my sister?!" Yuzu exclaimed. She was practically hysterical by the time she finished firing questions at the officer.

"Some time after school was let out, Karin was on her way to soccer practice, am I correct?" Isshin and Yuzu nodded. Karin drew back a little from the doorway, almost wishing to cover her ears. "Well, for an unknown reason, she ran into the street, and was hit by a car. She... she had passed on before we arrived. We identified the body and would have notified you earlier, but as you know, there have been some strange occurances around town. Craters at random intervals, long slashes in buildings and streets, and people disappearing. I would like you to know how sorry I am for your loss."

Isshin sat hard against the back of the couch, for once utterly speechless. Yuzu on the other hand stood up, large tears falling out of her eyes.

"LIAR!" she shrieked, pointing at the officer. He lowered his head, and Yuzu stomped her foot and pulled at her hair. "Liar, liar, liar! This can't be happening!"

"I'm sorry," the officer said.

Yuzu screamed, and ran out of the living room. Karin took a dive for cover, and managed to seep into a shadow just before her sister raced past her up to their bedroom. Isshin stood up on shaky legs and shook the officer's hand, thanking him.

Isshin guided the man to the door, then let it shut, leaning against it.

"You can come out now, Karin."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Toshiro Hitsugaya was now laying on the roof, loving the feeling that the tears of the sky had on his temporary skin. He ran his fingers through his damp hair, and sat up. He heard two deep voices, and one of higher pitch. None of them were Karin. Two he knew were Isshin and Yuzu, the other an unknown man that had come to their house not too long ago.

The white-haired boy thumped his head back, causing a small bump. He was supposed to be focused on finding and defeating Aizen, not on this Kurosaki girl.

As his thoughts turned back to her, he groaned. "It's no use," he said aloud to himself. "The more I try not to think about her, the more she pops into my mind. Maybe going for a walk will clear my head." The captain stood up and shook his head, freeing some of the water droplets from his untameable hair.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Rangiku sat in the tree, falling asleep on watch duty.

Oops.

I should really pay attention,

she thought.

_But it can wait..._


	5. Wise Words and De Nile

**A/N: I was kind of disoriented while writing this, so expect OOC-ness and stuff... I don't own Bleach. Please tell me how it is. :/**

**R&R!**

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Karin stepped out of the shadow she was hiding in and into her father's view. "Hey, Dad."

"KARIN!" he screamed, throwing himself at her. Karin rolled her eyes and dodged him.

"I'm dead, Dad. You can't touch me... probably."

"THAT'S RIGHT!"

"You sound very heartbroken that I'm dead."

"THAT'S RIGHT!"

"You're hopeless."

"THAT'S RI- HEY!"

"Just stating the truth." The corners of Isshin's mouth twitched, and he sighed.

"Karin. Let's have a chat, shall we?" Karin's legs suddenly felt like lead- her father never sounded that serious. Suddenly, Isshin looked like he had aged ten years. He walked slowly to the living room, Karin following.

They sat down on the couch, Karin fiddling with her broken soul chain. Isshin studied her for a moment.

"Were you really killed by a car? Or was the car a disguise for a hollow?" Karin looked up. _How does Dad know about hollows?_ "Oh, please. Do you really think I fell for that 'truck driving through our wall' story? Or any of the strange things going on around town for that matter?"

"No, I didn't either, to tell the truth. It really was a car though, I s'pose I wasn't being very observant."

"Just like your brother..." Isshin grumbled. Karin's mouth twitched a little. "You two are more alike than you know. You both have great spiritual pressure that will overall be your downfall if you don't learn to control it. When are you planning on going to the Soul Society?"

Karin would like to have said that she wasn't surprised her father knew about the Soul Society. After all, he did know about hollows. She would _like_ to have said that, but... she didn't.

"How do you...?" she asked, as calmly as she could. It was more of a croak to be honest.

"It's kind of a funny story," Isshin said. "Let me tell you about the good old days..."

* * *

Toshiro Hitsugaya walked along the dark street, hands thrust in pockets. Pedestrians walked about with umbrella's shielding their bodies, but Toshiro found umbrellas useless to him. What was the point of rain if you couldn't enjoy it?

He passed several shop windows that were advertising clothes, jewelry, and food. He walked past an old woman with a grey umbrella and broken soul chain. He nodded in her direction, and a look of surprise was plastered onto her features.

"You can see me?" she asked. He nodded and kept walking. "Excuse me, are you alright?" Toshiro paused for a moment.

An annoyed scowl crossed his features as he glared at the woman. She didn't notice. "I'm fine," he said, not noticing how not fine he felt and acted.

The woman smiled at him. "Who are you thinking about?" she asked.

"How did you...?" Toshiro trailed off, surprise widening his eyes and making his jaw go limp.

"I've been around for a very long time, Sonny." _Sonny?! _It crossed Toshiro's mind to deck her right then and there, but she was just an old lady. "Even longer than you." Toshiro's eyes widened even more, if that was possible. "I know people. Your thoughts are written all over your face. And your eyes... they're old eyes. Very old." The woman seemed to stare straight through him, taking in every inch of his soul. "Who is it that you're thinking about?"

Toshiro didn't even think before responding. "A girl."

The woman smiled knowingly. "Ah," she said with a mischievious undertone in her voice. "I know how that goes. Young love?" _Just who is this woman? How does she know... WAIT, DID SHE SAY YOUNG LOVE?!_

"That's not true! She's blunt, and sarcastic, and there's no way that I could ever like her, let alone love her." The woman smiled even wider.

"Sounds like you're in de-Nile. You had better learn to swim, otherwise the crocodiles will get you!" she said, laughing. Toshiro just gaped at her. _Did she just say what I think she said?_ he thought.

"What?" he managed to croak.

"I used to say that to my grandsons all the time. I used to visit them every day. Oh, the times we had..." The woman smiled sadly. "They're all gone now though. All went to join the army, fight in the war." Toshiro paused.

"What war?" he asked. The woman looked at him like he was crazy.

"The world war of course! I remember, it was 1942-"

"Just how old are you?" Toshiro interrupted.

"You know that's rude to ask a woman, youngster," she said, flicking his head. He was tempted to slap her hand away, but that would be against his chivalry. "Too old for you," she said tweaking his nose. Toshiro could practically feel the vein pulsing in his forehead, and he barely held himself back. Instead, he sighed, letting all his frustration with this old woman come out.

"Do you have any regrets?" She thought for a moment.

"No. I think I've been here long enough."

"Are you ready then?"

"What for?"

"Do you want to pass on?" he asked. The woman thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay." Toshiro separated from his gigai, and if the woman could have had a heart attack, she would have. He drew his sword and flipped it so that she was looking at the bottom. It glowed blue, and he gently pressed it to her forehead.

"Thank you," she sighed. A hell butterfly danced past Toshiro's ear, and he smiled a bit, watching it go. Toshiro stepped back into his gigai and kept walking, outwardly unfazed by the old woman. But on the inside, he was confused enough to burst. She hadn't helped clear up his feelings about her. Toshiro thwacked himself on the forehead, trying desperately to get the girl out of his mind.

He walked all over town, and eventually found himself back at the clinic. He took up his previous post on the roof, and lay on his back, his hands behind his head.

_What a day..._

* * *

"DAMN IT!"

Toshiro sat up as he heard his lieutenant's shriek. He heard a thud, and looked over to the tree where the sound had originated from. His lieutenant was face first in the wet grass, butt sticking up in the air.

"Matsumoto?" he called. _Crap, he heard me,_ she thought.

"I'm fine!" she answered, making sure her chest was still in her shirt. It would be embarrassing enough, flashing a kid, let alone her captain. She stood up, and brushed the grass from her hair and front. She spat out a bit of dirt, and her captain looked at her incredulously.

"What were you doing spying on me, Lieutenant?" he asked coldly.

"Spying? Who's spying? I'm not spying! Why would I be spying? It's not like I wanted to see you and Karin together, nothing of the sort!" She grinned nervously, praying that he wouldn't catch on. He narrowed his eyes, and she gulped.

"I'll give you a ten second head start," he said, the vein in his forehead pulsing. Rangiku didn't think twice before turning on her heel and flash stepping away as fast as she could. Toshiro smiled and sat back down. It would be awhile before she realized that he wasn't chasing her.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Karin said. "You used to be a soul reaper?" Isshin nodded. "But now you're not." Nod. "So you know about hollows, and soul reapers, and the Soul Society?" Nod. "Do you know where Ichigo is then?" The pleading and desperate lilt in Karin's voice was undeniable.

Isshin sighed. "I don't know. But... I do know that Ichigo is getting stronger. I can feel it. It's insane how much spiritual pressure that boy has. You're the same way, Karin. Not so much Yuzu, but you need to pass on to learn how to control it." Karin nodded sadly.

"How are we going to tell him then? About me being..." Karin gestured to her soul chain.

"I honestly don't know. Maybe Rukia would know... speaking of which, where is she?" As if on cue, Rukia walked through the door. Karin made no attempt to hide, considering Rukia wouldn't be able to see her... right?

"I'm ho-ome!" she called.

"RUKIA!" Isshin screamed, jumping up from the couch and running to clobber her with a hug. She easily dodged him, and he was sent careening into the wall.

"Hey, Karin. How are..." Karin just gaped at Rukia, and Rukia just stared at the broken soul chain in her chest. "You?" she finished, gulping. "Karin, your- your chest..." Rukia trailed off.

"You can see me? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN!?"

"Language," Isshin said, his voice muffled by the wall where his face was stuck.

Rukia nodded slowly, eyes as round and as big as saucers. "Yeah. Uh, is that real?" she said, pointing to the chain.

Karin gave her a look. "No, Rukia. I just nailed a chain into my chest for kicks. Of course it's real!" Rukia cautiously approached Karin like she might explode. She reached for her soul chain, and Karin just barely avoided slapping her hand away. Rukia fingered the soul chain, and gently pulled on it.

"You really are dead," she said, gulping. Karin had to bite her cheek to hold back the remark on her tongue.

"Yeah," she said instead. It was more of a croak. There was too much emotion in her voice, and Rukia noticed. Impulsively, she grabbed Karin's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She shouldn't really have been able to touch her, but then again... most of the people in this town were a little screwed up. Usually, Karin didn't let anyone touch her, but... today seemed to be the exception.

The raw feeling and emotions pulsed through the violet eyed girl's arms and into Karin. They filled her up, causing her to crack. Then, shatter. The pieces of her fell onto the floor with tinkling noises, and broken sobs echoed through the room. Karin let it all out. Stress, pain, and... something else that she had just kept bottled up.

"I don't... don't... want to be... dead!" she said, uncharacteristic tears rolling down her face. She tucked her head into Rukia's shoulder. Karin felt her father's warm hand on her shoulder, but didn't make a move to shrug it off.

Karin hated every minute of it.

Feeling that weakness appalled her. It made her want to puke, vomit, hurl, upchuck, whatever you want to call it. It made her feel vulnerable, fragile, even crippled.

Who was she, this weak girl? This wasn't Karin. Karin was a strong, athletic, kick-ass tom-boy. Not a frail, unstable, girly girl.

What was happening to her?

* * *

He lay on his side, ear against the roof.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle now, just barely enough to wet the roof and make his clothes damp. He had watched Rukia walk in not too long ago. She had given him an odd look as he peeked over the side of the roof, but didn't question his sanity... out loud. Key words there.

And now, he heard Karin.

If he hadn't heard it for himself, he would never have believed that she was crying. Not even crying. Sobbing.

Horrible broken sobbing, shuddering breaths, falling tears.

What was the twisting feeling in his stomach? When he reached up to his face, why was it contorted in agony? Why did it feel like he couldn't breathe? And most importantly, what the hell was this girl doing to him?

* * *

**So yeah, it fell out of my head.**

**So eventually, Isshin, Matsumoto, Yuzu, and Rukia will be all for Karin/Toshiro. Only Ichigo will be against it. But eventually, he'll come around. By the way, I doubt Orihime and Uryu will be in it much, but I'll have them be together. ****Anyway, sorry it took me so long to write. Had a long weekend.**

**IMPORTANT! I'LL BE STARTING SCHOOL, SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE AS OFTEN... PROBABLY.**

**Big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm open to all thoughts and ideas!**

**Review please!**


	6. Discussions

**A/N: I am so sorry for updating late. It took me forever to write this, I just can't focus. School sucks btw. I am glad I actually have an education, though.**

**I don't own Bleach. **

**So, I figured out that I really suck at writing angst. R&R please, constructive critisism is much appreciated!**

* * *

Karin sat on the couch fiddling with her soul chain. Rukia had an arm around her shoulders, and Isshin was lounging on the ground, hands running through his hair, making it stick up.

They were all thinking the same thing, but nobody had the guts to voice it.

_What are we going to tell Ichigo?_

_He has enough on his mind,_ thought Rukia._ This will tear him apart. After his mother, I'm not sure Ichigo can handle the death of another family member. With him not fully in control of his hollow side, he could lose it, and turn on Karin and the rest of us. Then, I would have to stop him without hurting him. This is not going to be easy. On a completely different note, what the hell was Captain Hitsugaya doing on the roof?_ Rukia found asking herself questions that were not on task helped ease her stress.

_When Ichigo hears the news, it might be worse than Masaki. He'll find some way to blame himself. How are we going to tell him? _Isshin thought. Isshin didn't bother wondering what the spiritual pressure was on their roof. In fact, he didn't even notice, or he didn't care.

_Forget about telling Ichigo, just focus on what's here and now! We still have to find him. Wait, didn't Toshiro mention something about spiritual pressure? Could he find him by tracking him with that?_ Then, another thought crossed Karin's mind._ Does Rukia know about all this? I mean, she noticed my soul chain, and she can see me. Does that mean she knows about soul reapers?_

"Rukia, how do you know about this?" Karin asked the other dark haired girl, holding up her soul chain. "How did you know I was dead?"

Rukia's face flushed. "Um, I, uh, well…" fortunately for Rukia, Yuzu chose that time to come back downstairs.

She took no notice of Karin, instead greeted her father and Rukia with a teary smile. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she sniffled through her nose. Okay, so maybe she couldn't see Karin.

Yuzu and sat on the couch next to Rukia. Karin was on the other side.

"So," she said awkwardly. "What are we going to tell Ichigo?" This was unlike Yuzu. Usually, she beat around the bush. They sat in silence, all drowning in their own thoughts. "Any ideas?" she asked.

Rukia spoke up. "I know Ichigo is going through a really tough time right now," she started. Isshin glanced at her knowingly, but Rukia didn't notice. "I'm afraid he might lose control if we tell him straight out. But, first we need to find where he is."

"What do you mean 'lose control?'" Karin said.

"I agree," Isshin said, ignoring her. Rukia gave her a look that said _I'll tell you later._ "After Masaki… well, he's never really recovered. I'm not sure if he ever truly will. But Rukia is right. We need to find Ichigo first. After that..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Rukia's eyebrows scrunched together. "I don't know what to do…" They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Finally, Isshin stood up.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go. Rukia, could I speak to you for a moment?" Isshin gave Karin and Yuzu a look that said _stay,_ and then Rukia stood up and followed him into the kitchen.

She pulled herself up onto the counter, and fixed her violet eyes on Isshin. He leaned against the counter perpendicular to where she was sitting, and sighed.

"Rukia, I don't want you to be the one to tell Ichigo." The response was immediate.

"What?! But, I'm his friend! I owe it to him!"

"No. If you tell him, then you will forever be the girl who gave him the worst news of his life, completely destroying any hope of a future you two might have together."

Rukia blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Can't you see it? You two have chemistry. You were meant for each other."

"That's not true, we're just friends."

"You're SOO in de-Nile. You'd better learn to swim. Otherwise, the crocodiles will get you!" Isshin shrieked.

"What?!" Rukia croaked.

"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, please don't be the one to tell Ichigo about Karin. Don't tell him I told you this, but when you're gone, he gets depressed. He might not show it, but a father knows these things." Isshin winked, and Rukia blushed even more.

"But—"

"No buts. If anyone should be the one to tell him, it should be Karin. I'm not saying that you can't be there for him. Just let Karin say it for herself. Rukia, you know it's for the best."

Rukia was silent for a moment, thinking. "Yes, I suppose it is." Isshin's mouth twitched and he punched her lightly in the shoulder.

"Don't be so stubborn. Open up to Ichigo. I guarantee that he feels the same way, even if he doesn't show it. He argues with the people he loves the most." By the end of Isshin's speech, Rukia's face was as red as Renji's hair.

"I'll… try to remember that," she said, jumping off the counter and running out of the kitchen. Isshin threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, I love playing matchmaker."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

The crying had stopped, along with the rain. Instead, he heard muffled voices: Isshin and Rukia. He heard sniffles from Yuzu, and silence from Karin.

_What's happening in there?_ He wondered. He wanted to peek in the window, but that would be even creepier than sitting on the roof.

_Crap._

Matsumoto had finally figured out that he wasn't following her, and started coming back this way. He sighed and stood up. He ran a hand through his hair and jumped off the roof, running for Orihime's house.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

_Damn him, he's not even following me! I've just been wasting my energy when I could have been taunting him or poking him with a stick!_ _Augh! He's so infuriating!_

She spun 180 degrees on her heel, then sprinted/flash stepped back to where her captain's spiritual pressure was.

_I am going to hurt him._ She needed no more elaboration than that.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short, the next chap. will be super long. There will be much Ichigo Rukia, and some Karin/Toshiro angst? not sure yet.**

**Reviews with constructive critisism are gladly welcomed. I know I'm moving the story fast, but I want to get it out of my head before I lose interest. Thanks so much for reviews too!**


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